Latest NFL Preseason Updates August 13th
The 2024 NFL preseason has kicked off, and we are less than four weeks away from the beginning of the regular season – marked by a Thursday Night Football showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens. Yes, the real thing is almost here!
As a new football season rapidly approaches, there have been plenty of developments taking place both on and off the field. Let’s look at some key recent updates regarding various teams throughout the league.
Latest NFL Preseason updates: How did the rookie QBs fare in their preseason debuts?
If you watch the preseason games, it’s probably to see how the highly touted rookies look. Right? Well, you have already gotten a brief look at the top three quarterbacks who went No. 1 (Caleb Williams to the Chicago Bears), No. 2 (Jayden Daniels to the Washington Commanders) and No. 3 (Drake Maye to the New England Patriots).
In a 33-6 rout of the Buffalo Bills, Williams completed four of seven attempts for 95 yards and would have been 6-for-7 if not for two drops. He also had a 13-yard run. Washington lost to the New York Jets 20-17, but Daniels had a touchdown run and was efficient enough through the air in limited work. Maye logged just seven snaps in one series of New England’s 17-3 defeat of the Carolina Panthers. He was 2-of-3 for 19 yards.
Williams is a +140 favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Latest NFL Preseason updates: Odds improving on Aiyuk’s return to San Francisco
Throughout this offseason, it has felt like the Brandon Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers were going to part ways. After all, the fifth-year wide receiver will be an unrestricted free agent in 2025, and the 49ers do not want to lose him without getting anything in return. Trading him now would be a better alternative to losing him as a free agent later.
Well, now it seems the Niners might not want to lose him at all. Sources are saying that San Francisco’s front office is becoming increasingly more inclined to do whatever it can to bring Aiyuk back. And why not? The former Arizona State University standout has scored 25 touchdowns during his four-year career, including 15 in the past two years. He has made at least 75 receptions in each of the past two seasons and surpassed the 1,000-yard mark both times. The problem is that right now, Aiyuk ranks 11th among NFL receivers in average annual salary, and six have signed larger deals already this offseason.
Will the Niners pay up? We will likely find out sooner rather than later. They are +250 favorites to win the NFC.
Latest NFL Preseason updates: Fields may be fumbling away QB1 bid
One of the most intriguing quarterback battles of the preseason – along with the Minnesota Vikings’ duo of Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy – features Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. The veteran and the youngster (relatively speaking) are duking it out for the starting job for the Steelers.
It’s safe to say that the current depth chart with Wilson as the starter and Fields as the backup won’t be changing this week. Fields fumbled snaps on consecutive drives; even though both were recovered by the offense, they contributed to stalls that led to punts. The former Ohio State standout was otherwise decent, completing five of six passes for 67 yards while getting sacked twice. Kyle Allen also played as QB for Pittsburgh. Per head coach Mike Tomlin, Wilson will likely see some game action this coming week against the Bills.
The Steelers are +2 underdogs at the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1.
Latest NFL Preseason injury updates: Marquise Brown likely to miss time for Chiefs
Nobody – outside of owners and the league, of course – likes preseason games. They will probably go away at some point in the not-too-distant future, but for now, they are a necessary evil. Everyone will agree that the worst part of the preseason is the injury bug. Injuries can indeed happen at any time, but they are just a lot more frustrating when they occur in meaningless competition as opposed to during the regular season.
The Chiefs took one of those hits in Saturday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, as Marquise “Hollywood” Brown suffered a sternoclavicular joint dislocation. Whatever that is, the wide receiver is expected to miss a few games in the regular season, according to head coach Andy Reid.
Kansas City is a +500 favorite to win the Super Bowl.
In other injury news, Falcons safety DeMarcco Hellams sustained a lower-leg injury during a loss to the Miami Dolphins and is likely out for the season. Teammate Bralen Trice, a rooking defensive end, has been placed on injured reserve with a leg injury.
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